home ownership

• Right to Buy
• Applying for a right to buy
• Shared ownership

Right to Buy

The Right to Buy scheme administered by our Home Sales team allows some tenants to buy their council homes at a discounted rate but they have to arrange their own financies to do so.

From 2 April 2012, the maximum discount for properties in the borough will increase from £16,000 to £75,000.  This means the discount rates now are:

• for houses: 35% of the property’s value plus 1% for each year beyond the qualifying period (5 years) up to a maximum of 60%
• for flats: 50% plus 2% for each year beyond the qualifying period (5 years) up to a maximum of 70%.

Please note - the increases will apply to all applications being processed at the moment and to any new applications received from now on. In order to apply for the Right to Buy you must have been a council tenant on a secure tenancy for five years – please note that any period spent in temporary accommodation (for example bed or breakfast or a hotel) does not count towards this – nor does time spent as an introductory or demoted tenant.

There is no charge for making an application.

Warning!

There are private companies and individuals who offer to help tenants to buy their homes. But you may not get good advice from them and could end up becoming homeless. We are here to help you and our advice costs nothing.

Sometimes companies or individuals offer tenants money if the tenants agree to a deal where the company ends up owning the property. If you enter into this type of agreement before you buy your property, you will have to repay your discount as soon as you buy it.

Please think very carefully before using one of these companies or individuals. Do not sign anything that you are not entirely clear about or happy with.

Some tenants have become homeless after agreeing to deals like this. It is very important that you get independent legal advice from your own solicitor or the Citizens Advice Bureau, before you do anything.

Applying for a right to buy

If you would like to apply to buy your council home, you can download the application form for the Right to Buy from here – you will need to print a copy but it doesn’t have to be in colour. You have to answer all the questions.

For an application form, go to the DirectGov website

Download a Right to Buy application form

The form is published by the Government on the Directgov website (external link), which has further information about the Right to Buy scheme. Just type "Right to buy" in the search field to get to the relevant section.

Once you have completed the form please return it to us by post to the following address:
The Home Sales team, 8th Floor, Alexandra House, 10 Station Road, Wood Green, N22 7TR.

If you have any further questions about Right to Buy, contact the Home Sales team:

Tel: 020 8489 3231 or 020 8489 3357
Email: right2buy@homesforharingey.org

You can also read our Right to Buy service standards

Shared ownership

Shared ownership is a home-buying scheme which enables you to buy a share of a property and pay rent on the remaining share you do not own. If you wish, you can buy further shares of the property as and when you can afford it, until you own the entire property.

Find out more about shared ownership in Haringey

Faydalı Dış Bağlantılar

The following links are not part of the Homes for Haringey website. Please read our legal notice before using these links.

• Department for Communities and Local Government